Rants and Raves

RANT TO SRS for employing 8,000 people, of which only 700 are hourly, non-exempt workers. A disgusting example of wasteful government spending. And you are talking more layoffs.

MCG WILL ALWAYS be MCG to me. Children’s Medical Center will al­ways be Children’s Medical Center.

I AM A WOMAN, and I believe women should not be in combat roles in the military.

TOM BECK, KEEP AT IT. Don’t let Fred Russell get away with this. He should be the one fired. They should put you back in. I have known you for over 32 years, and I have never heard a complaint about you. You have done a wonderful job at the rec center.

PLEASE REST ASSURED that “commonsense gun laws” is socialist speech for the complete disarmament of all American citizens.

IF YOU HAVE a concealed weapons permit, if you have purchased a weapon from a store, if you have gone to a shooting range, if you have purchased ammu­nition, if you made a pro-Second Amendment statement on Facebook, if you “liked” a pro-Second Amendment site on Facebook, if you “liked” an anti-Obama site on Facebook, if you are retired military and/or if you checked the “yes” box on the new HIPPA form concerning weapons, you are already on a federal registry.

SNOWBOARDER Shaun White is disgusting. No man should wear his pants that short. There’s no room even for underwear. Yuck!

FORTY ACRES AND a mule = Section 8 and a SNAP card.

MAKES ME FEEL kinda good that our new sheriff is trying to do his best going into the big-time clubs and pulling the guys out of there and they are not black guys. Keep up the good work.

BIG RAVE TO Martha King of the Augusta Cares Program, who is unfailingly prompt and courteous. In the event a concern is not immediately addressed by the responsible city department, Martha makes an effort to resolve the issue. Augusta is lucky to have you.

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Umm, no. There's an end to the forty acre and mule; once you've given everyone one, you're done; it's over. Section Eight and EBT, SNAP, free phone, are multigenerational and well, they're the closest thing to eternal life we've acheived to date. Sorta like a "temporary" tax.

done any of those things, you are on a database somewhere. The big one though, is if you pay more into the government than you take out, you're on a hit list: That makes you one of the hated "rich." Because you are not dependent on Big Sister, you are a threat to the state.

Let’s look at the grand opening event of the Potemkin Center also known as the TEE Center. It’s the Brides & Bouquets which lasts a few hours Sunday afternoon 24 February. This “event” is used in the calculation to come up with money spent locally? You’ll be lucky if they buy a cup of coffee in town.

Then we have the Ironman that has been coming here every year using existing facilities. As with the other events that have been coming here, we are told the events have outgrown our facilities. Are we supposed to believe the Ironman would move if a Potemkin Center wasn’t built as Darryl Leech says?

I mean all this stretches the imagination. Leech now says he’s looking for karate tournaments. Maybe he can work that in around his other big event, the Tattoo Show. We’re in the money, we're in the money. Old man depression, you are through.

It seems like we were just told we would make hundreds of millions a year with a convention center before the vote.

But I’m going to give them every benefit of the doubt and even believe the Sunday afternoon bridal show attracts people from out of town and has them staying in hotels for 3 days. I’ll assume all the events have money spending patrons exactly as stated.

Leech says that will mean $12 million spent over the year. At 8% sales tax that’s $960,000 a year. That’s just about enough to pay the management fee we have to give the Marriott. Of course it doesn’t count the maintenance or utility costs nor is the $1.4 million kitchen equipment considered. And in case we forget, with those bills it won’t make a dent in paying the $38 million costs to build the Potemkin Center.

“Now, we’re morphing into a convention center,’’ Leech said. He would be better off trying to coax frogs in the river to morph into princes. Or maybe he should start smaller with tadpoles.

Let the spinning begin due to the overwhelmingly good news. The TEE Center is now up to 20 events, and seven in waiting... I remember when people said Augusta couldn't attract one event. The same people told us the city wouldn't be able sell a home in Laney Walker or Bethlehem either. Over $3 million going to the local tax base, and Harvard using the phrase game changing national model speaks for itself.

The Ironman event didn't start until the year 2010, and will attract thousands of people. Many of the schedule conventions last more than one day... The vast majority of events have never been in Augusta before.

I always find it hilarious people continue to bring up the TEE Center, but the citizens of Richmond County approved it.. They never mention the $10 million exhibition hall in Grovetown which the residents of Columbia County didn't even get a chance to vote on. No mention of the project jackson in North Augusta including a conference center.

Augusta attract millions of more tourist compared to either Grovetown or North Augusta. But certain people want you to believe the TEE Center is such a bad idea, but it's good for two smaller cities with less tourism. The same people tell the public that project jackson is this great idea, but a few months ago it was just a waste of money on the Georgia side.

The same ole people getting mad, because of the continuously good news in Augusta.

I'm sure people from all over the US will be flocking to the exhibition hall in Grovetown. Too bad your local government didn't even let you vote on the $10 million investment.

It makes perfect sense to build a convention center next to Walmart, Arbys, etc. The one in Augusta won't be able to compete, because it's only surrounded by the Riverwalk, Marriotts, Broad street, etc.

The people who bash Richmond daily can't stand for you to mention something related to where they live.

This would be awesome if he does. I don't know whether he would be "conservative" or not, but he darned sure isn't sounding like a leftwinger. It would be awesome because this guy is very, very smart and educated; and hopefully not a stinking politician out for self aggrandizement and power.

You continue to repeat that misleading statement. The voters approved HALF of the TEE center. Check what was approved vs. what was spent. AND....they approved that HALF based on the LIE BY OMISSION that they were NOT TOLD of the back room, croooked, management plan that had already been agreed to. AND....they were not told of the power that the Marriott would have over the deal. AND....they were not told of the FOREVER continued $1 million per year operation and maintenance costs which will surely GROW exponentially over the years.

I don't think that the TEE would be passed today and that the track record of the back room deals with the TEE will hopefully cause this to be the LAST thing you put over on the gullible taxpayers in Richmond County.

But I could be wrong. I thought the voters would have already learned but they went ahead and approved TSPLOST too. And now we are possibly going to get screwed out of the "extra" money we were supposed to get if we passed it. I guess some of the low IQ voters will never learn. Oh well, what would I expect from people who would put Williams back in office.

What's a HIPPA, a female HIPPO? And what does it have to do with the price of tea in China? HIPAA allows a health professional to report someone who is mentally unstable and who has made credible threats to the authorities. Is that perchance what you've confused? Would you prefer a nut saying I'm going to shoot up ----- High School and the doctor alerts no one? BTW: If your born and have a SS card, you're on a federal registry. Big Deal. I also have a draft card and lottery number from the old days. Big woop. A nice piece of nostalgia since I'm way over the draft age, even for medical professionals.

@Riverman I worked under that guy Leech; arrogant micro mananger and way out of touch with the people on so many levels. I went back to work just to keep myself busy because I retired at 33 and worked for that company left in 08 I'm now 50. Anyhoot I seen and heard stuff that would make you go to a eyebrow shop just to purchase a new one you could put up high enough to show the surprise correctly.
I was investigated because I drove a CLS 500 every now and then to work, skin color and owned a payed for high end house, but if my resume was looked at they would have seen I was a professional musician at one point that liked to cook, including made some smart investments. When the new brand was achieved for the now Marriot the arrogance of the knuckle heads almost made Marriot pull the brand.
I will say this again the same people that ran this "CITY" way back when run it now and I can bet you a cute boob votes do not make the choices. REGENCY MALL, GOLF HOF, SCIENCE CENTER AND JB ARENA for example ( Do you know the whole story of how and who on these issues, a mayor was jailed for the same practices that are going on right now Hmmmmm). It is true no one wants to come here because of past treatment and that is a fact! I can get on the phone right now and ask high end talents about that or at least their PR people.
The meat and grits of the matter is " WE AS A CITY SHOULD BE WAY AHEAD OF WHERE WE ARE NOW" All that Costco and MCG building crap is doing not a darn thing for the average guy/gal, if anything it has created a monster sending people to places that they are not used to handling, its called displacement! I have been trying for TWO years to get this ditch attended too, plus you see the trash on the roadsides and I do believe my tax dollars are just as good as The Nationals or a TEE Center. By the way I keep mentioning the TEE Center because you know as well as I do that the builder/owner does not pay for the project, in the long run we do, especially if it fails! It is a nice idea but the things around it will cause it to go down.
Bottom line is all that event stuff and figures were the same figures given for so many things here that failed even before the Pre Obama ( even if Romney was in there the same would have happened, because that does NOT change people) bank faliures and CEO thefts. Still we cannot even keep a frigging Minor league organization!
The big deal about this is I am good money wise I just hate seeing cheerleaders cheer for the same team that IS NOT WINNING!